When to hire your first finance leader
The first finance hire and the first CFO are the two decisions that most change how a founder-led business runs its money. This guide covers when to make them, what they cost, and the fractional options in between, from a recruiter who has placed these roles across Australian tech, fintech and deep tech for a decade.
The four decisions
4 guidesEvery founder building a finance function runs into the same four questions. Here is how I think about each, from placing these roles for a decade.
Most founders hire their first finance person about a year later than they should. The trigger is rarely revenue on its own. It is the moment the numbers start driving real decisions and nobody in the room owns them full time. I break down the actual thresholds below, and where a fractional CFO fits before a full-time one.
Read the full guideFinance salaries in high-growth businesses do not track the generic guides, because the person doing three jobs at a Series A is not the same as a divisional controller at a corporate on the same title. These are the ranges I actually see land offers, by role and by stage, in the Australian market.
Read the full guideA fractional CFO gives you senior finance judgement without a full-time salary, and for a lot of businesses between the first hire and the first CFO it is the right answer. It is also over-sold. Here is when it genuinely works, when it does not, and what it should cost.
Read the full guideHiring a finance leader is not a job-ad problem. The best candidates are not looking, and the search that lands them looks nothing like posting a role and screening applicants. This is how a retained finance search actually runs, and what to ask before you brief one.
Read the full guideWorking out the finance hire your next stage needs?
Tell us where the business is going. We will map the market and give you an honest read on the role, the level and the range, before you commit to a search.